Holding down clamp for presses and ironing boards



Nov. 13, 1951 P. L. ABBOTT ETAL HOLDING DOWN CLAMP FOR PRESSES AND IRONING BOARDS Filed Jan. 26, 1950 INVENTORS PERRY L, ABBOTT ORAL G.GROVE ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES T OFFICE HOLDING DQWN CLAMP FOR PRESSES AND IRONING BOARDS Application January 26, 1950, Serial No. 140,586

1 Claim. 1

Our invention relates to holding down clamps for pressing and ironing boards, and is particularly adapted for holding plaits in garments while they are being pressed.

The primary object of our invention is the provision of a hold down clamp for holding plaits in garments while they are being pressed on a press or ironing board.

Another object of our invention is to provide a clamp that can be readily adjusted to any size of press or board.

A further object of our invention is to construct the clamp from a light and strong material so that it will be easy to operate the same While forming the plaits in the garment and applying to the press or board.

These and other incidental objects will be ap parent in the drawings, specification and claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of one of our new and improved clamps which is adapted to be applied to an ironing board having a fiat surface.

Figure 2 illustrates the same after it has been applied to a garment for plaiting the same,

holding the garment to the board.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partially in section illustrating the principle of guiding the movable clamp and the spring for raising the clamp when released.

Figure 4 is a side View of a clamp adapted to be used in connection with a press, having a curved upper surface.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

Our new and improved clamp for holding garments while plaiting and pressing consists of a main frame or bar I, having a downwardly extending leg 2 adapted to support the adjustable clamp 3. The end of the side of the leg and the side of the clamp 3 are corrugated at 4 and are held together by the wing nut and bolt 5. The clamp may be adjusted on the main frame I and its downwardly extending leg 2 to accommodate the same to any thickness of press or ironing board.

Slida-bly mounted on the opposite end of the frame I is a tubular member 6. It also has a downwardly extending leg 1 to which the clamp 8 is applied to and locked thereon by the wing nut 9. The clamp and leg are corrugated at 10 to insure a fixed adjusted position between the two.

The movable clamping plate II is supported from the main frame I by the springs [2. The upper ends of the springs are secured to the supporting elements I3 at M, referring to Figure 3, while the lower ends of the springs nest into the pockets l5 formed in the rib l6 and held therein by the cross pins H. The clamp II and its reenforcing rib 16 are held in alignment with the frame I by the action of the upwardly extending guide members l8, which pass through the slots or openings l9 formed within the frame I. The floating clamp H is forced down to the position illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 by the action of the lever 20, which is pivotally mounted at 23 within the frame I.

A cam 22 forms part of the lever and engages the bearing surface 23, forming part of the rib it. When the lever is in the position illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the clamp member II engages the plaits 24 of the garment 25 and the top surface 26 of the board. When the lever 20 is raised it will permit the springs I 2 to raise the clamping plate H to the position illustrated in Figure 4.

The clamp shown in Figure 4 is the same as above described, except that the same is curved in order to fit the curvature of the press indicated in broken lines at 21.

It is preferable to cover the plate l l by a cover as indicated in Figures 2 and 4. When the holding clamps 3 and 8 are adjusted to fit the board on which our new and improved hold down clamp is being applied to these adjustments need not be changed thereafter, as there is plenty of adjustment provided in the operation of the cam lever 20 and its cam 22 engaging the movable hold down plate H.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A pleat clamping device for fitting on an ironing board, comprising a bar for extending across a board, said bar having slots, adjustable stops adjacent the ends of the bar for fitting under the board, a clamp member longitudinaly beneath said bar and between said stops, said clamp member having vertically extending lugs which project through the slots formed in the bar, springs interposed between the bar and the clamp member, said springs being normally tensioned to draw the clamp member toward the bar, and a cam lever pivoted to the bar and contacting with the clamp member to depress the clamp member against pleats in opposition to the tension of the springs.

PERRY L. ABBOTT. ORAL G. GROVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

